Cover Image: Cat Got Your Crown

Cat Got Your Crown

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Cat Got Your Crown by Julie Chase is book 4 in the Kitty Couture Mystery series. It could be read as a stand alone as, Ms Chase does a great job getting you up to date.

When the National Pet Pageant comes to New Orleans it brings bribery and murder and Lacy is right in the middle of it.

This book has it all. Plenty of plot twists to keep you wondering, romance, family, wonderful characters, a great setting, and a hint of magic. There is even a bit of humor. This is an easy read cozy.

I was given an ARC from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Cat lovers rejoice with the return of Julie Chase's Kitty Couture series. this is book 4 and Lacy is working the pet show in New Orleans that is being run by her mother. This can be read as a stand alone but you'll want to read the previous books. When the judge of the show is killed before the competition begins , Lacy discovers that he is hated by many and the list of possible killers is endless Many returning characters to catch up and a good murder to solve. The cat treat recipes look pretty good and easy to make.I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest

Was this review helpful?

I was drawn to this series from the first book because I love any book set in New Orleans. Add a great cat, that's a plus, too. Here comes the 4th entry in the series and I'm still hooked. I have to say I have never lived with a cat (or dog) who would allow any kind of clothing - some even refused a simple collar - so Lacy's store, the Furry Godmother would get my business for the treats. Lots of people dress their cats and lavish them with healthy treats and, after a year in business, Lacy is ready to grow her business a bit more - hiring more help would be a good start. Her mother has enlisted her help with the National Pet Pageant and Lacy is working harder than ever before. and investigating a homicide wasn't part of the festivities. While having lunch, the nasty MC of the event takes a dive off a balcony, landing head first on the buffet, right in front of Lacy. When she looks up and sees Eva Little on the balcony, Lacy is certain the woman could not have pushed him but the police have other ideas.
The public may have loved the dead man but the people attending with their pets couldn't stand him. That gives Lacy and her friends a long list of suspects to check out while at the same time, Lacy becomes a pageant judge. That's a lot to juggle and she better take great care that the killer doesn't make her the next victim.
The mystery was satisfying with the various twists and turns one expects in a good mystery. My one frustration was Lacy's romantic triangle with her long time friend, Chase - she wants to stay friends - and Jack, the cop. Four books and I'm ready for her to make a choice. One more reason to look forward to the next in the series.

Was this review helpful?

Cat Got Your Crown by Julie Chase

In this 4th book of the Kitty Couture Mystery, The city of New Orleans is hosting The National Pet Pageant for four legged friends and winged companions. Lacy Crocker is there to help fix pet costumes. During the rehearsals, the pageant’s master of ceremonies Viktor Petrov is pushed off a balcony falling to his death. One of the Welcoming Committee sisters, Eva Little is seen looking down from the balcony. She is immediately a suspect. Lacy must find out who wanted Viktor killed before her friend ends up behind bars.

This is the first book I have read from this series. As it was easy to follow, I feel I should read the others before this one. Because what I didn’t understand was why Chase kept being by Lacy side when she apparently turned him down. Everyone tells her he loves her, but she has eyes only for Jack the detective. I feel Chase should move on from Lacy and find someone who loves him back. I understand when you love someone you can’t just walk away if it’s true love, but I felt like Lacy takes advantage of Chase and Chase puts himself beside her to be able to be taking advantage of; it was just sad reading his puppy dog ways. Chase’s character deserves better. I guess, I need to read the previous books to understand their one sided relationship.

The Lacy character was Eh. She tries, she really does try to be a strong woman, but IMO she forgets things, she is insecure, she is stubborn, she whines about the million things she has to do but doesn’t do any of it besides bake. Her mother found the venue for the pet pageant when they had to move, Imogene runs the store more so than she does, her best friend Scarlett found her a part time employee. Lacy does nothing but bake, fix costumes, over thinks, doesn’t want to be a victim but always somehow becomes a victim, tries to please her mother even though she is thirty years old, and is dumb when it comes to Jack and for some reason she always seem to have a shiver going down her body/spine.
Lacy is so clueless she doesn’t even talk to Eva about the incident until chapter 18 (72% into the book). You would think Eva would be the first one Lacy would interview. Plus Lacy did not figure out who the killer was, the killer had to be practically on top of her for her to figure it out.

The storyline was predictable.

I figured out the killer in the first 3 chapters. It took Lacy a lot longer… cause…. she had a million things to do….

I like the Jack character, I just don’t see what he sees in Lacy. I also like the Willow character, she seems independent and knows what she wants…. unlike Lacy.

What I liked about the book were the pet pageant contestants, Penelope and the Roomba, Voodoo background and the descriptions of New Orleans. I never been to New Orleans and would love to visit.

This book in all is a cute cozy mystery, made me chuckle once. It has no sex, graphic violence or profanity.

I give the book 3 stars. I would of liked to give it 4 stars but I just couldn’t get past Lacy’s character.
I give the Cover of the book 5 stars. It is adorable!

A Big Thank you goes out to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an advanced digital read. The opinions expressed on this review are my own. #CatGotYourCrown #NetGalley

Quotes:
“Are you feeding me dog food again?”

Was this review helpful?

Murder at a Pet Talent Show
A popular and famous pet talent show comes to New Orleans and brings murder and chaos with it. While this is the 4th episode in this series, it stands alone very well. While prior episodes are mentioned, it is just enough to inform the new reader without being tedious. It made this new reader want to read all of the prior books! This was quite the fun read. The animals and their owners are terrific. The plot with all of its twists and turns keeps the reader guessing. There seems to be no stopping the action! A brief pause for a little romance or family fun and then something more happens. This book is just the right length to have plenty of story development and detail and not go on forever. I want to read I received this book for free and this is my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

A delightful tale of mystery and romance. The furry godmother's words of wisdom preceding each chapter are especially entertaining. A charming bit of southern fluff and stuff.

Was this review helpful?

Lacy runs the "Furry Godmother" and store that caters to pets and their pet parents. It's quirky and fun just like Lacy. Now Lacy's Mom has roped her into helping with a Pet Pageant. Lacy helps with the costumes. That all changes when the MC for the pageant is killed. Lacy not only becomes a judge in the pageant, but she is also investigating the murder. This book make New Orleans sound fun and beautiful. I have never been there, but it makes me want to visit. The story moves along as Lacy keeps sticking her nose in where it doesn't belong and she keeps getting threats. Jack, Lacy's homicide detective is right there trying to keep Lacy save. Very fun.

Was this review helpful?

If you haven't read this series before, don't worry- you'll be fine with it as a standalone but then you'll want to read more! Lacy, owner of the Furry Godmother pet boutique in New Orleans, is once again investigating a death where the victim was not the nice person others thought he was. In this case, however, Viktor Petrov, emcee of the Pet Pageant, was especially rotten. Lacey knows, just knows, that Eva didn't do it and, against the direction of her romantic interest Jack, a law enforcement officer, she pokes around and then, well.....Lacy is a fun character, as are others in her circle (I like her pal Scarlett). She's got a great cat and in this installment, another one following her. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. There's a little romantic tension, a nice mystery, and all in all, it's a classic cozy perfect for those who like theirs with a pet theme.

Was this review helpful?

I LOVED this book! I thought this was the first time I have read a book by this author, but as I got a few chapters into the story I realized the characters were familiar like an old friend. Although it is the 4th book in the series it can be enjoyed as a stand-alone. I was very excited to have the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book as it is a series in my wishlist pile.

I found the characters (both human and furbaby) a delight to read about especially Lacy’s domineering mother and I also really like the introduction of Willow and Rune to the storyline. I enjoyed the hint of magic and romance as well as the humour strewn throughout the book. I laughed at certain scenes and dialogue waking up my husband (like Penelope riding on the Roomba).

The mystery is well-written and plotted. There are several red herrings and twists to keep the reader engaged. I suspected the killer halfway through but then changed my mind, as there were other viable suspects.

I look forward to reading all the books in the series and highly recommend to all my cozy mystery loving friends.

I voluntarily agreed to read a digital copy of this book supplied by NetGalley and Crooked Lane. All thoughts and opinions are my own and in no way have been influenced.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed this 4th in the series. Once again the author kept me guessing as to who the murderer was. I like the relationship between Lacy and her boyfriend. I do think Lacy needs to stand up more to her mother however.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. - I like this series and look forward to more!

Was this review helpful?

This is one of my favorite cat themed cozy mystery series and I was delighted to read this for review. My opinions are my own. I have read the entire series and highly recommend each book in the series for all who love cats and a good mystery. Cat Got Your Crown by Julie Chase is the 4th book in the Kitty Couture mystery series and a delightful read.
Our protagonist Lacy is very busy with her pet boutique, making organic pet treats and clothes for the National Pet Pageant coming to town. She has been in business for a year now and is thrilled with her successful shop while doing what she loves for animals. She is looking forward to her participating in the pageant and gaining some advertising for her boutique at the same time.
When the pageant emcee is murdered and dies, Lacy is once again on the case to discover the suspect. She has a lot of help from her friends and townspeople to put together a puzzling set of clues. There are many twists and turns that kept me guessing throughout to the end. Her romance is nicely done but not overpowering to the plot. It was just the right blend for the charcters and the story. I found this book has a well crafted enjoyable plot and characters that are always fun to return to. I love the descriptions of the pet boutique and Lacy is a believable protagonist, smart savvy and good at solving crimes. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Was this review helpful?

Lacy's pet boutique has been in business for a year now and soon she's going to need some help. It's grown so much she can barely keep up. And when she has to help her mother with a convention in town it's getting overwhelming...

Crooked Lane Books and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published March 13th.

The first big opening day for the pet contest, she goes to have lunch with her mom and her friends. Imagine her horror as the master of ceremonies topples off the balcony and falls on the food table right in front of her!

She knows the suspect that Jack took to the police station didn't do it. But she can't figure out who did. It bothers her. She's going to save her friend. But is she willing to trade her life to do it?

In the meantime she has her male friend from childhood, Chase, hanging about with her. He'd like the relationship to go further but she doesn't think that's how she feels about him. She loves him and they're great friends but she wants a different kind of love in a marriage. Then there's Jack, the cop. Sparks fly between them but they both try to resist it.

As time goes on, she gets written threats and she knows the killer is someone close. She's trying to judge the performances the pets put on (another mom favor) and when she goes out at break for a breath of fresh air, someone shoves her off the bridge she's standing on. It's a fight to the finish for Lacy.

The killer surprised me. They weren't on my list of suspects. I enjoyed watching Lacy trying to make up her mind about her love interest, too. This is a fun series to read and I look forward to the next book in the series.

Was this review helpful?

The Furry Godmother, pet boutique and organic treat bakery, is extremely successful so Lacy Crocker is drafted by her society-savvy mother to help her make the National Pet Pageant (NPP) a major New Orleans event.

Setting up in the Saenger Theatre on Canal Street, the NPP gets sidetracked when the MC Viktor Petrov falls to his death from the balcony, landing on the buffet next to Lacy. In short order, Mick Mackey, takes the microphone, introduces himself as the new MC and requests pageant participants to report to the lobby for further instructions.

As plans proceed for the NPP, suspects are identified. Turns out Viktor took bribes, so several contestants are investigated. Naturally Lacy starts sleuthing and soon begins receiving threats to “STOP”. Both men in her life, friend Chase and detective Jack, take turns watching out for her as she continues her own investigating. Lacy is also balancing customer overload at the Furry Godmother where she needs to hire more help with the demands from Grandma Smackers for her ideas on pet treats.

A side note: After observing how happy riding the robotic vacuum at work makes Penelope, her cat, Lacy buys another one, she names Spot, for her home. In fact, Penelope knows how to activate Spot – the adventuresome cat paws the big button and Spots leaves the dock traveling around with Penelope on top for the ride. And now, this reader has visions of Penelope taking a ride whenever the mood strikes.

Julie Chase brilliantly plots an imaginative cozy with twists and more feline humor. Well defined characters, clever dialogue and hints of the mystic in New Orleans flow through pages. Engaging, entertaining and just plain fun describes this fourth read in the Kitty Couture Mystery series.

Was this review helpful?

When the NPP heads to New Orleans, Lacy Marie Crocker’s life goes to the dogs. With her mother heading up the committee to support the pageant, Lacy is drafted into service and before she knows it the MC (literally) drops dead in front of her…from the balcony. Being in nature, she begins looking into who would have killed the man, but finds herself in the killer’s crosshairs instead.

Trying to run her pet specialty shop, the Furry Godmother, and find the murderer before she’s the next victim is taking a toll on Lacy, but is also driving her further into the arms of the detective she loves. Can he keep her safe from yet another murderer? Detective Jack Oliver is going to do his best to keep the woman he loves safe…if only they could share their feelings for each other and move to the next level.

First book in the series I have read and it was quite enjoyable. I love NOLA and could completely feel myself transported there as I read. Love the quirkiness of the characters (Do you think I’m pretty?) and the setting. I will be back for the first three books in the series and future installments. Great as a standalone even if you have not read the previous books.

Was this review helpful?

This is the 4th installment in the Kitty Couture Mystery. Lacey Marie Crocker has opened her pet boutique and bakery has been pressured into volunteering for the National Pet Pageant that is being held in New Orleans. Lacey gets roped into doing all sorts of items for the pageant. During a dress rehearsal the host of the National Pet pageant Viktor falls off the balcony and dies right in front of Lacey. A fellow volunteer and friend Eva is on the balcony at the same time and becomes a suspect. Lacey begins to investigate and begins to receive threats. This was a good solid mystery with twists and turns. Looking forward to the next installment. Good read.

Was this review helpful?

Take a pet couture designer, add a national competition, 2 handsome suitors and a man tossed off a balcony and you get this fun cozy romp through New Orleans. With surprises, society moms and many cats in the mix, it makes for a diverting read.

—-

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not paid for this review.

Was this review helpful?

Cat Got Your Crown by Julie Chase is the 4th book in the Kitty Couture mystery series, and another fun read. Lacy Marie Crocker is very busy with her pet boutique, making organic pet treats and clothes for the National Pet Pageant coming to town. When the pageant emcee is pushed from the balcony and dies, Lacy is determined to find the truth. Not only is this book really fun, it has a great mystery also. There are twists and turns around every corner. I found this book to be a quick read, with a well developed plot and characters. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. If you love cozy mysteries, I recommend this book and the series.

I received this book in exchange or a fair and honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This is the fourth installment in the Kitty Couture series. The Pet Pageant has come to New Orleans and Lacey is busy volunteering to help make the event a great success, culminating in a winner being crowned. However, the popular yet controversial master of ceremonies falls to his death from the balcony during a rehearsal. Was it an accident or did someone have reason to want him dead? If so, why? Lacey begins investigating, much to the chagrin of her mother, Chase and beau detective Jack but someone sends her clear messages to stop. Will she cease before she or someone else gets hurt or worse?

I've enjoyed the prior books in this series and this one was another fun read. The characters continue to develop well together. I like the strong bond between Lacey and her lifelong friend, Scarlet; the arrival of newcomer Willow and her connection to the Imogene; and her continuing friendship/romantic tension with Chase. And who doesn't like a New Orleans cat named Voodoo? It's also the one year anniversary of the opening of her pet boutique store, The Furry Godmother and it feels like she is comfortable in the decisions she has made, even though it is not the path her parents planned for her. While I enjoyed the continuing development of her relationship with Jack, I would have enjoyed a little less focus on the romance and added more mystery.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advance digital copy of this book. My review is voluntary..

Was this review helpful?

Cat Got Your Crown is my first book my this author but the fourth in this series. I did not have any trouble keeping up with the story or confusing the characters. While I am probably missing a little background, the mystery takes prominence in the story and moves quickly with an endless supply of suspects. Lacy has been back in town around a year and has her pet boutique running smoothly. While working at National Pet Pageant her mother is planning, Lacy witnesses the emcee fall to his death. All evidence point to murder and Lacy's friend Eva looks good for the crime. Welding threats, a crush on the sexy policeman, and a best friend that everyone thinks is more, Lacy stumbles her way to solving a crime and makes a new friend along the way. Light hearted and fast paced, the story hits the right spots for a fun, slightly romantic but highly enjoyable cozy mystery. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

Was this review helpful?

I just love my visits to NOLA with Julie Chase and her latest in A Kitty Couture Mystery series. The characters are all engaging, the humor is delightful and the mystery truly had me guessing until the end. I was even suspecting that some long time characters had turned dark and twisted. I especially liked the progress in the romance between Lacy and Jack, as well as some new found understanding in the mother/daughter relationship. I highly recommend 'Cat Got Your Crown' and look forward to more!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions express in this review are entirely my own.

Was this review helpful?